On February 11, Director of Intergovernmental Relations Dominic Butchko testified before the Environment and Transportation Committee in opposition to HB 247 – Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Critical Area Protection Program – Variances – Alterations.
This bill makes significant changes to when a county can authorize a variance within their share of the critical area. These new, more stringent changes would reduce county flexibility—further straining counties’ ability to support and deliver affordable housing.
By reducing local flexibility—particularly for projects that rely on tailored regulatory relief to advance affordable housing—the bill would further constrain counties’ ability to respond to Maryland’s ongoing housing shortage, especially in rural communities with unique development challenges.
Variances are a core land-use tool that give counties flexibility to
allow a project to deviate from certain development requirements. In practice, strict application of regulations can be impractical or counterproductive. While variances can be narrow or broad, their central purpose is to keep the regulatory framework from becoming overly rigid.
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